Hold'em table

Button with 98o in position, a standard raise to pressure the blinds and take initiative.

J9 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open is a marginal hand that plays poorly out of position against two opponents; folding avoids a -EV spot.

Facing a 100-chip call into a 350-chip pot with 5-T suited, the price is good enough to continue against a button raise range. Raising would be weaker than calling here.

Holding a pair of fives on a King-high flop heads-up against the preflop raiser, a c-bet of about two-thirds pot can win the pot now and charges weaker pairs and draws to continue.

We have a gutshot straight draw with 9d 8h on a 7d 5s Kc board. The bet is 300 into 750, giving us immediate odds that are slightly insufficient, but with deep stacks and position, we have implied odds to call and try to hit a 6 on the turn.

I have a pair of fives with a Ten kicker, which is medium strength on a K-J-7-5 board, and I have the option to check for free, so I'll take the free card rather than bloat the pot.

We have an open-ended straight draw with 8 outs. Opponent checked the turn, showing weakness. A half-pot bet of 500 can win the pot now or build it for our draw, while we can fold to a check-raise.

I have only a pair of fives with a weak kicker against a 500 turn bet into 1550, so I need about 24% equity to call and this hand is unlikely to reach that.

Pocket fives on the button in a 3-handed game is a clear open; raising to 2.5bb takes the initiative and builds a pot in position.

Facing a 200-chip call from the button with 7Q offsuit, the pot odds are about 3:1 and the big blind still has to act, so calling is a reasonable price to see a flop.

With AQs in the big blind facing a button raise and a small blind call, 3-betting builds value and isolates. A raise to 700 puts pressure on opponents while keeping pot manageable, and avoids playing out of position multiway.

Small pocket pair in position facing a 3-bet of 7bb with ~93bb behind; the implied odds (roughly 20:1 stack-to-call) justify set mining, especially with the SB possibly coming along to sweeten the pot.

Seven-queen offsuit is weak, and facing a 700 raise plus a caller from out of position, calling 450 needs more equity than this hand likely has against two continuing ranges.

I have two overcards and a backdoor flush draw, and as the preflop 3-bettor this flop favors my range. A c-bet of around half pot pressures weaker hands and denies equity.

Pocket fives with an open-ended straight draw (3s and 7s) plus set outs on a dry 4-6-9 board; getting ~26% pot odds against a 3-bettor's range that often has overcards, calling is profitable while raising risks getting blown off equity.

We have ace-high with no draw on a coordinated board; checking controls the pot and avoids building it further with a weak hand.

Holding 55 with an open-ended straight draw on 4-6-9-7; villain's turn check after a 3-bet and c-bet suggests unpaired overcards that we already beat. Betting would mainly fold out worse and get called by better, so taking a free card and realizing equity is best.

We have Ace-high with no showdown value. Our preflop 3-bet and flop bet represent strength, and the turn check could be a trap. A river bluff of 2100 into 3450 should fold out many one-pair hands, making it profitable if opponent folds over 36% of the time.

Villain's 3-bet, c-bet, turn check, river bet line is frequently a give-up-then-bluff with missed AK/AQ type hands; an overpair would usually protect on the draw-heavy turn. Getting ~27% pot odds with a pair that beats all the unpaired bluffs, calling is +EV.

On the button with 6s5c, the hand is a suited connector worth seeing a flop cheaply against a small blind and big blind, so calling 100 is reasonable over folding or raising.

With 4c2c in the small blind and poor position, the hand is too weak to continue even for a small additional cost; I’d rather save my chips for a better spot.

T5 suited is a weak hand; button limped and SB folded, so I take a free flop in position-disadvantaged spot rather than bloat the pot out of position with a marginal holding.

Flopped a ten-high flush on a monotone board; bet for value and protection against higher single-spade draws, building the pot while the hand is likely best.

I have a flush draw plus a gutshot to a straight (12 outs), roughly 45% to improve by the river, against 175 to call into a 425 pot, so calling is profitable.

I flopped a ten-high flush on a monotone board and the turn brick doesn't change much; betting ~2/3 pot for value against one-pair hands, draws to a higher spade, and straights while keeping the pot manageable in case of a bigger flush.

Calling 400 into a 1000 pot gives about 28.6% pot odds, and with a pair of sixes plus a flush draw and an open-ended straight draw, I have enough equity to continue.

We hold a ten-high flush on a three-spade board; opponent has called two streets and likely has a weaker spade, pair, or straight. Half-pot value bet gets calls from worse while keeping us able to fold to a big raise.

My pair of sixes is weak against a three-street aggressor's river raise, and calling 700 into 2800 needs about 25% equity that I don't have, so folding is the disciplined play.

JQo is a strong hand in 3-handed play from the button; raising to 2.5x builds the pot with position and puts pressure on the blinds.

2-5 offsuit in the small blind facing a button raise is a clear fold; it's one of the weakest hands and plays poorly out of position.

Pocket aces are a strong hand, so I raise to build the pot against the button's wide opening range.

JQo is a marginal hand with reverse implied odds against a big blind 3-bet. Without reads, folding preserves chips and avoids difficult postflop spots.

A3o on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open; raising to 2.5bb takes initiative with a hand that plays well in position against the blinds.

Facing a 2.5bb button raise with 98 offsuit from the small blind, calling 200 to win a 400 pot is a reasonable price for a speculative hand in a three-way pot.

With 62o, a very weak hand, facing a raise and a call out of position, folding is best to avoid losing more chips.

My 9-8 has only a gutshot straight draw on a 5-5-6 board, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids investing more chips with a weak hand.

Preflop aggressor in position on a dry paired 5-5-6 board; a small 1/3-pot c-bet folds out many unpaired overcards and backdoor hands while keeping the price cheap, and A-high with a 3 still has some equity if called.

Calling 200 into an 800 pot is about 5:1, and 9-8 has a gutshot straight draw to a 7 plus some backdoor equity, so the call is close but reasonable.

I have only a weak straight draw with 9-8 on a 5-5-6-Q board, so checking is the cheapest way to see the next card and avoids bloating a pot where I have no made hand.

Ace-high with no real draw on a paired board after SB called the flop; checking back controls the pot, keeps showdown value against missed draws, and preserves the option to bluff rivers.

I have a made straight, 5-6-7-8-9, which is very strong on this river. Seat_2 checked the turn, so a value bet of about 60% pot should get called by worse hands.

Ace-high with no pair on a 5-5-6-Q-7 board facing a river lead; villain's check-call then donk range is heavy with 5x/6x/7x/Qx and completed straights, with few missed draws since no flush was possible. Not enough equity to call 600 into 1600.

Calling the 100-chip big blind with suited 4-6 on the button is a cheap, in-position speculative look at the flop in a three-way pot, which beats folding a suited hand here.

Pot odds are 5:1, A4o has enough equity to call cheaply and see a flop despite being out of position.

KJo in the big blind against two limpers is a strong hand; raising to 4bb punishes the limps and builds a pot with positional disadvantage mitigated by initiative.

4-6 offsuit is a weak hand facing a raise to 400 from the big blind with 300 to call, so folding avoids a costly marginal call out of position.

A4o is too weak to call out of position against a big blind raise, and 3-betting as a bluff is risky without reads.